The Importance of Brain Games

Once a week, my dad and I FaceTime to do the New York Times Crossword. It’s been a tradition since before I left for college, when we would sit in the living room and call out words at each other, occasionally breaking from concentration to share tidbits about our day. 

I cherish these moments, not just because I get to bond with my father, chatting amiably with the pixelated face in the corner of my laptop screen, but also because it makes me feel accomplished, like I sharpened my wits somehow. 

As my dad and I fell into a routine of doing these puzzles, I began to distinguish how our brains worked differently. My dad excels with acronyms and short, yet obscure words I’ve never heard before. I do better with finding the longer, vague clues based on just a few scattered letters. 

Doing the NYT Crossword puzzle teaches me my dad has a robust long-term memory — able to recall information quickly and reliably. I’m not nearly as quick with my memory, but I find ease in filling in blanks, making quick connections between letters and words. 

It’s not just the crossword, however — though I could talk about it for hours — a lot of the NYT Games, or those made by Luminosity and other brain game apps get users to use their heads, providing entertainment in lieu of doom-scrolling and mindless matching games.

They’re not Candy Crush or Homescapes, but brain games are pretty cool. Brain games can range from puzzles like sudoku to word games which help improve vocabulary. Of course, the most notable today would be games like the Wordle, Mini and Connections, all made by the New York Times. 

These more stimulating games stand out in the sea of ad-ridden mindless tapping apps like Clash Royale and social media. Not only are they more engaging, but they’re better for the brain as well.

My feeling of accomplishment when my dad and I finish a particularly hard Saturday puzzle — the most challenging day for the crossword — isn’t completely unfounded. In fact, studies have shown playing brain games can enhance cognitive function in areas like short term memory and task switching. 

One study used the website Luminosity with a portion of their subjects. I use this platform often, playing quick and fun games which vary daily based on user-selected reasons to improve specific areas of their cognitive function. Video and brain games can also increase gray matter in the brain, allowing for increased communication throughout the brain. 

Additionally, a study done in 2019 found by playing brain games, patients with mild cognitive impairment were able to relieve symptoms of decreased cognitive function and prevent the loss of gray matter. 

With people spending over 40% of their day looking at screens, it’s only logical to consider using some of the time dedicated to social media and mindless scrolling for improving cognitive function and learning new things.

Overall, mental health is equally — if not more — important as physical health. By doing the crossword with my dad, I’m not only expanding my vocabulary, but improving my thinking and reasoning as well.

When my friends do the Wordle — or any of its quirky variants — they’re not just improving their social connections, but their mental ones too. 

Brain games are crucial in the search for improved mental ability and allow people to forge connections through shared stats on the Mini or a love for online mahjong.

Next time my dad and I open the NYT Games app to start a Friday crossword, or the next time I complete a daily challenge for Luminosity,  I’ll be sure to keep in mind the benefits and improvements the games are making to my problem solving skills and gray matter levels.